Improved plastic compound made from vegetable fibers



' UNITED STATES PATENT OFF CE;-

WILLIAM HUGH PIERSON, OF ORLEANS, LOUISIAEIA.

Sneciiicntion forming part of Letters fatcntNmfiiJRZGL dated Lia 23; 1 867.,

Tca ll whom it may concern I Be it known that 1 WILLIAM HUGH PIER- SON, late of O rangc, Essex county,gNew J ersey, but now residing temporarily at. New

Orleans, Louisiana, have invented ordiscov cred a certain new and useful art-vim, the art .of manufacturing certain useful and ornamental articles out ofplasticmnd of combinations and admixtures therewith of variousother substances, as hereinafter more particularly described, and which art I call the plastic art, and the manufactures, plastic manufactures; and I hereby declare that the following is a. full and suflicient description thereoi'. v i

The ,nature ofthe invention consists in act'- ing upon cotton, hemp, flax,""gr'ass," wood, starch,'sng ar,' or other; equivalent vegetable niatter by acids, &c., as herein shown,to soften,

modify, and render soluble, or partly soluble, said vegetable matter, in other fsolventsthan said acids, and thereby render the said vege table niatter capable of being molded. into forms s applicable to the useful arts inseveral different ways, an d for difle'rent purposes; and vegetable} matter so changed is what I" de-' nominatetplastic. A

To enable" others ,skilledin the arts'to make andluse my invention, the fiber of cotton, flax, &c., nn-y be digested in nitric acid, orfa mixtureof nitric and sulpl nricfacids,by which means the cotton,& 1c.',' is changed and convertedinto a material oalledby difi'erentnames. When applied to firearnis flor blasting, it is called gun-cotton 3 when prepared for application to. photographic purposes, it 'is called collodion when the material is referred to as adist-inctchemicalsubstance,itisdenoininated vpyroxylinefiaiul has a near chemical relation to xyloidine, or altered cellulose. 'In'thefirst case, the material is treated with great care, and, under specific directions, to -develop the explosive properties. In the second, the inateria-l must be so treated that the pyroxyline its-fully soluble in ether, and alcohol, '&c;,

while for my plusticjagent the iirst of the above-named processes rwouldquite unfit it for my purposes,explosiveness being yery undesirable for the plastic inunufactures, and

so, also, the variety of 'iyroxylineor gun-cot tonnsed in the photographic arts, though it- 'may be used for] some of theplasticmanufac ime is nw e r e isei e leve fly.

, account of its explosive qualities, and', iu some instances, on account of its too great solubility, and, also, on account-of its oostliness, es-

pecially when in thefcondition of ordinary photographic or surgical collodions. Itis true that in some cases I use my plastic'iu a state' nearly dissolved,but in many more I make sure that it shallbeonly softened or pulpiiied. It'is likewise true-that the plasticmost desirable for niy manufactures, and-which I ordinarilyuse, is neither fairly explosive nor-fairly soluble,'and none' ot' the articles manufactured therefrom are explosive, and' some of them only graduallycrumbling 'to :pieces under in redlie'at.

The plasticmaterialused by-me for the finest work is made by immersing: cotton fiber in nitric acid-,0! aQmiXture-Of nitric and sulphuric ac1 ls, \vettingthe whole mass, and retaining the materials-in 'contact for n greater or'less time, (fifteen minuteswill sutfice for most pur' poses,)' and then washing out the acids with water; ;When-I" wish a cos'irser article, I substitute flax, hemp, grass, or sawdust, 8:0,, and

treatthem substantially in the same manner as "the cotton fiber. The product of this treatment is now readyto he submitted tothe action of alcohol, ether, &c., to fit it for 'combination' with other substances, as wellas fo lnolding and other applications 1 make my plasticmanufactures as follows:

Forvariety' N0. 1, take of plastic.(e. g., plastic cotton) one p'art,', by weight-,and wet .it with two parts bfale'ohol andtwo parts of ether. This mixtureisappli'ed'to cotton batting, or any equivalent fiber, "or-spread on any mold or surface of'any desired forin. When this solidifies it'is completed Greater condensa tion may be effected, if desired, by mechanical pressure, as by rollers and by other means. The use of 's'o-s'niall'a quantity of thesolvents will not completely dissolve the plastic, but puts itin a condition much more favorable than a solution'for molding, andfor combination with various other substances previous to molding, andiresult's, on the-evaporation of the solvents,"in"a firnnstrong, and durablefabric suitable fo'r statuury, architectural and other'j-moldings, furniture, vessels, and tubes forcontaining and conveyin liquids and gases ;fforall these articles, as bnttims, combs,

toilet; articles, 8 d,,- now made of hard rubber, gutta' per'ehn, 1 a 1iier-mach, 8:0. 5 and for iinipaints, oils, and dye-stuffs, from all of which combinations good and durable structures recloth, bands, cordage, 8m. As a type of -this eriuid other materials will bewater-proof or air-proof-clothm Among 2 a sneer tations of shell, horn, ivory, and bronze man- .ufactures, wood carvings, &c., by means of coloring, &c. as hereinafter set forth, and forms the type of articles herein. a,

In practice, I-propose to produce the fabrics above named by mixing the plastic and solvcuts with'mineral or vegetable powders, as sand, powdered stone, lass, brick, earthenwere, (he, carbonates o lime, sawdust, charcoal, and other carbonaceous substances, powdered metals, and metallic oxides,

salt, as well as. oheapness, diminished com.-

lmstibility, and the ready imitations, as above. hidicated. 1

It will be easily seen that the above plastic mixture and the manufactures resulting therefrom are very difi'erent from thosesolutionsof gun-cotton called icollodion, and the results,

,bbtained therefrom in the photographic and surgical arts, although it must he confessed chemise collodions might atsman sub+ stitute-for' the basic mixture of plastic audits solventsfor my plastic "manufacturesflhongh at a much greater cost and at numeronsother practical disadvantages, in the working up of my fabrics.

ty no. 2 embraces some resets,

' manufacture, take cotton bsttin g, or other n'n-' woven texture, in layers, and wet it with a mixture of plastic, onepart' alcohoh twentyfour; and ether-,eight; 'hese proportions may be varied,but;those given are good) The fabric may then be'pressed or dried, which makes the cloth. {Extra strength-may be sccuredby crossing the -1ayers or otherwise intel-mingling the raw fibers.- For eordage they should be twisted. A plain cloth is to be made on a flat surface, and: may be pressed or run eween'rouers to finish it, If made into gen. j mcnts, or tubes, bags, &c., molds maybe needed for the purpose. By the coinbination'of coloring-matter with this articleginitatti-ions 11(3): lloathema e-w may these plastic cloths is'one made with very little or no raw fiber, so as to be more or less transparent, A good mixture. forthis purpose is,

' plastic, one part; alcohol, four;- ether, eight;

soiled oil, four. If it. is wished to have the Y membrane slightly porous, turpentine or naphthe may be added. I To make this plastic membrane, it is only necessary to spread the mixture on asolid surface of the desired.- shape and allow the'vaporiza'ble fluids to evaporate. These cloth-like fabrics are useful for many of ,thc purposes for which leather andoil-cloths are now used, and instead of many'of the flexible rubber cloths, as water-proof garncnts, flexible tubing, &c.; also, income in stances, for cordage, for transparency in place of glass, and for painters canvas. Where more stiffness is required, it may be secured by using larger proportions of plastic in the basic mixture, or by n ing or otherwiseilk termigzin g a properamount of plastic fiber with theraw fiber before wetting it, while greater flexibility is secufed'byeembining oil with the basic mixture 1 I make imitations of fur,- plush, flock, 850.,

by aflixingfur, plush, &c., toa foundation of 1 the above material by means of plastic.- It is obvious that other foundations-e. 9,, woven cloth or felt-may be used for thepurpose, though the above unwoveu plastic clot-h is the best. This is useful for bats and artificial fur skins, the artificial skin havingtbe advantage over the naturafone of being waterproof and less destructible by atmospheric and chemical agencies. Other short fibers-as cotton, wool, silk, and yarnsof the same-may be made spin a similar manner.

Variety No.3 consists in rendering woven or other manufactured cloths water-proof .by

means of plastic. As types of this kind, I take woven fabrics-of cotton,fl ax, hemp, wool, silk,

&c., stretch, and then coat or saturate theartt. cle with a mixture of plastic with its solvents,

alone, or admixed with oil, coloring-matters, 8w. A good mixture for. this purposeis, plastic, one part; ether, eight; and alcohol, eight totwenty-foun- Other proportions may be used,raccording to the nature of the article operated on and the special result to be obtained. The aboveinekes a good water proof cloth but somewhat still. Where greater flexibility. is required, some'drying-oil may be added to the plastic mixtures good-mixture..-

for the purpose :being, plastic, one part; al-- cohol, four -,ether, fours; boiled linseed-oil,

four, the mixture to be'applied to the cloth as the aboi'e, "Another planis to treat the cloth with oil first and with a plastic mixture am I ward; The above1=proportions are good. in practice ;Y but I do not'fconflne myself to them, as a wide range of proportions may housed.

v for woolen cloths a good mixture is, plastic, on .part; alcohol, sixteen; ether, sixteegi boiled oil, two; tdrpentinqibur; then'sppli to oneside'o'fthe clotli,orbetween two layers of cloth. This can be so applied as to leave one surfaceof the cloth with its original appearsnme,v while the other is water-proof, and is consequently well. adapted for water-proof clothing. Any of the above maybe successfully colored by mixing oil-paintsin the plastic mixture containing oil, or any coloringmatter soluble in alcohol, ether, orturpentine.

Variety 1 0,4 consists in the combination or admixture of plastic and its solvents with metals, metallic oxides, silicious, argillaceons,

and other stony powders, pigments, oil paints,

carbon, carbonates of limo, asj well as woods,

dye-stulfs, and carbonaceous substhnces gen 1 erally for coloring and for other purposes herein mentioned. q The following are in stances: ,f y f In metals, take plastimone part; a1 7 four, other, two; iron iu' powder, two-stee structure of a .fine metallic appearance, and some of them admitting of gildmg. In me- -tallic oxides, plastic, one part; alcohol, eight;

others-eight; zinc oxide, eight--a rigid mixture. For an elasticmixture, take plastic, one

part; alcohol, eight; ether, eight; boiled oil,

combinations require a red heat-to destroy them. They are useful as preservative waterproof and fire-proof paints or coats forprotecting-roofiing, for example. Some of them also make excel-lent statuary and good stuccos.

In carbons, &c., take plastic, one part; alcohol, four; ether, four; charcoal powder, one to sixteen. Lamp-blacker plumbago may be substituted for the charcoal, sawdust, straw,

" or any vegetable powder or fiber may also be substituted for the charcoal, and oil may often be added to advantage, useful for statuary and moldings, and-some forms-for paints, and somefor marking-pencils, and for other pur-' poses.

.As' a nydrocarbonaceous compound,-ta-ke plasti 'one part; alcohol, eight; ether, eight. 'lo four parts of this mixture add one part of canal varnish. The copal varnish may be replaced in this mixture by any other resinous varnish, by'india-rubber, gutta-percha, or any hydrocarbon, or-any substance soluble in alcohol, omen-linseed oil, turpentine, benzine,

. .or naphtha. The compoundsw-ith indie-rubber and gutta-percha are among the least useful of these compoundsp A useful mixture for rougher first coating of wood, brick, iron, stone, plaster, &c., is plastic, one part; alcohol, eight; ether, four; common resin, six. Aniongcompounds of carbon which make good structures with plastic may be instanced wheat flour. Other kinds of meal, as well as bran, may be substituted for the flour.

. For calcareous compounds, take plastic, one part; alcohol, four; ether, two; chalk, one to four. Marble, plaster-of-paris, or any other calcareous compound may be substituted for the chalk. Useful, among other purposes, for

. statuary and moldings, and the chalk mix;

ture for marking-pencils.

For paints, &c., take plastic, one part; alcohol, eight; ether,'four. Add to this mixture from one to four parts of any oil-paint, or any coloring-matter dissolved in oil, alcohol, ether, tapentine, benzine, or naphtha, to be used as a paint for all the purposes of coloring for which paints are used. In this, as in the other in stances,- I do not continemyself to the precise proportions stated, because I find that the plastic can be usefully combined in a great variety of proportions.

In time, my numerous trials of the above mentioned mixtures, and others not mentioned, enable me to affirm that plastic is capable of being combined and worked up so as to make useful "and ornamental structures, as mentioned, with any substance, in a proper state of division, and at suitable temperatures, except afew of the most active acids and alkalies; and in thus establishing thepracti'ca;

bility and showing the mode of making this very great varietyof useful'artioles by the use as a basic material of this article plastic, of which it may be said that a few varieties only have ever before been. known, and none of its varieties put to any other practical use than for explosive purposes, for. photography, and as an adhesiveplaster in surgery, and,

. perhaps, as an unimportant varnish for paper,

which said uses 1 do -not claim.

. I do claim-to have discovered or invented a new and useful art-the art of plastic manufactures, as above described.

Having described the nature ofthe invention and several mode'sof carrying the-same into useful manufactures what I claim as my invention, and-desire to secure by Letters Patent, -is-- 1. The formation of articles of manufacture resemblingstone, wood,whalebone,shell,'horn,

and other rigid or elastic articles out of plastic or semisoluble pyroxyline prepared-substantially in the "manner and for the purposes herein set forth.

2. The combination of plastic, as above described, with vegetable or any other foreign matter, substantially in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

3. Making woven cloths and other fabrics water or. air proof by treating them with plastic, substantially as and ibr the purpose setforth. v

4. The combination of "plastic with dryingoils for waterepro'ofin g and transparencies and other purposes.

5. Combining plastic withmet'als and various metallic substances in the pulverulent state, substantially as described.

6. Attaching, by means of plastic, fur, plush,

or other short fiber, to any suitable. surface, so as to give a fur-like surface, substantially as set forth.

7. Formingacompound for painting and coloring, and other purposes by admixture of plastic and solvents with paints, oils, dyestalls, and other coloring'rnatters.

WM. HUGH PIERSON.

itnesses:

GEO. W.U0LL1ER L. D. GALE. 

